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Israel Splitting Gaza In Two With New Road; Biden Doubts Hamas Hostage Deal By Ramadan; Russian-Backed Hackers Breach Microsoft; Hong Kong Drafts Controversial Security Law; U.S. Immigration Policy; U.S. Government Funding; Haiti Has Not Requested Interim U.N. Peacekeepers; Malaysia Airlines Jetliner Disappeared 10 Years Ago; Pentagon Developing Portable UFO Detectors. Aired 4-5a ET
Aired March 09, 2024 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM.
More promises about Western leaders, about getting aid to Gaza as the threat of starvation looms over Palestinians in the besieged territory.
Where are the aides coming from?
And how much is getting where it needs to go?
And talks to reach a ceasefire and hostage deal appear to have stalled, what U.S. President Biden is saying about the prospect of an agreement being reached before Ramadan.
Plus Ukraine is amping up its searched for support as Russia sends new tech to the front lines. How the fight for foreign funding is impacting Ukraine's troops.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE (voice-over): Live from Atlanta, this is CNN NEWSROOM with Kim Brunhuber.
BRUNHUBER: We have new details about the U.S. plan to build a pier for humanitarian aid in Gaza. The Pentagon says, it could take 1,000 troops, two months to construct. but aid groups say Gaza needs more help now.
The United Nations is warning that Gaza is on the brink of famine and the children may not survive it. One U.N. humanitarian corridor says, the lack of food, healthcare and basic needs is set to cause what he says are a lot of preventable deaths. He also says hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.
In fact, Gaza's health ministry on Friday, said 23 people have died from malnutrition and dehydration. While CNN can't independently confirm the deaths of the children or their causes due to lack of international media access to wartime Gaza, three of those who've died were children at Al-Shifa medical complex.
CNN's Nada Bashir is live in Cyprus, where a new plan is taking shape to get more aid into Gaza.
So take us through exactly why you're in Cyprus.
NADA BASHIR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're outside Lanaca (ph) port, which is the focal point of this new maritime corridor that has been established by the European Union, the UAE and other international partners, with the endorsement, of course, of the United States.
It is here that we are expecting to see vessels, ships carrying humanitarian aid and supplies being transported through this new maritime corridor to Gaza.
Now this is the first time that we have been able to see aid prepared to be transported by sea with courses in those attempts at land crossings across the Rafah border crossing the Kerem Shalom crossing, as well as other crossings from Israel into Gaza.
We have also seen airdrops being carried out by the likes of the United States, Jordan, Egypt and other national partners. But there have been calls for a maritime corridor to allow for an uptick in the amount of aid being transported to Gaza.
As we know, the situation inside Gaza is growing more desperate, with each passing hour. And as we've seen here over the last day or so, we are already seeing aid groups, aid organizations preparing that humanitarian aid and, crucially, food supplies to be transported by sea to Gaza. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BASHIR (voice-over): At the port of Lanaca (ph), Cyprus, preparations are underway. Vital food supplies carefully loaded onto this barge, ready to be transported to Gaza.
NGO workers at World Central Kitchen have been laying the groundwork for this mission for weeks following difficult ground crossings along Gaza's obstructed borders and limited airdrops.
This is their latest effort to supplying crucial humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.
BASHIR: What these pallets are filled with rice and flower, these volunteers are preparing to carry them by this vessel behind me to Gaza. This could be one of the first, if not the first, aid missions, transporting food and humanitarian aid by sea.
BASHIR (voice-over): Aboard the Open Arms ship, volunteers and rescue workers assess the precarious route to Gaza's embattled coast.
The mission comes as the European Union, the UAE and other international partners announced the opening of a new maritime corridor, allowing ships to carry humanitarian supplies from Cyprus to the besieged Strip.
URSULA VAN DER LEYEN, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COMMISSION: Today, we are facing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. And we stand by the innocent civilians in Palestine.
BASHIR (voice-over): Search and rescue coordinator Esther Camps (ph) is herself preparing to make the journey to war-torn Gaza.
ESTHER CAMPS (PH), SEARCH AND RESCUE COODR: The worst part of the (INAUDIBLE) 1.2 meters.
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BASHIR (voice-over): This is a deeply complex mission but one which is desperately needed. As Gaza teeters on the brink of famine.
CAMPS (PH): It's really important because we are like the pilot phase. So if we get this food inside, many other people can do the same. We are proving the world that we can do it. So we must do more.
BASHIR (voice-over): The establishment of a new maritime corridor has been endorsed by the United States. President Biden himself directing the U.S. military to establish a temporary port on Gaza's coast to facilitate access for humanitarian supplies.
Israel, for its part, says it welcomes the development and will continue to coordinate with international allies.
But U.N. experts have accused Israeli leaders of quote, "intentionally starving the Palestinian people in Gaza" with over 0.5 million according to the U.N.'s World Food Programme now at risk of starvation.
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BASHIR: Now of course, there are still a lot of unknowns. We've been speaking to aid workers on the ground, preparing to travel to Gaza. They think it's unclear once they reach Gaza, how exactly that aid will be transported.
We know, of course, that the U.S. is now preparing, its military is preparing to establish a temporary port or pier, which will facilitate access to aid supplies and aid organizations transporting humanitarian supplies using this maritime corridor.
But of course, according to U.S. officials, that could take around two months for it to be established. It's being set up by 1,000 troops. And of course, while this could take several weeks, the situation in Gaza is growing more desperate.
There is growing urgency around the situation inside the ship. And as we have heard from U.N. experts, more than 0.5 million people are now set to be at risk of starvation. There is an urgent, desperate need for more humanitarian supplies. And crucially for food and safe drinking water to be sent into Gaza.
And of course, we have been hearing criticism from other aid organization, saying that while of course, this maritime corridor will certainly be a huge help in that aid effort, they still need to see more supplies going in via land and they need to see less obstruction by the Israeli authorities on that front.
BRUNHUBER: All right. Appreciate all that reporting in Cyprus, Nada Bashir. Thanks so much.
The Pentagon says the airdrop that reportedly killed five people on the ground in Gaza wasn't from a U.S. operation.
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BRUNHUBER (voice-over): Now this video obtained by CNN shows the moment things went wrong. You can see a parachute malfunctioning and the pallet it was holding rapidly falling. It's not clear which country conducted this aid drop. The Pentagon press secretary addressed the incident on Friday.
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BRIG. GEN. PATRICK RYDER, PRESS SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: These humanitarian airdrops contribute to ongoing U.S. government efforts to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza and are part of a sustained effort to get more aid into Gaza.
Of note, press reports that U.S. airdrops resulted in civilian casualties on the ground are false as we've confirmed that all of our aid bundles landed safely on the ground.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: It says the U.S. carried out its fourth round of airdrops on Friday, bringing the total meals dropped by the U.S. and Gaza to more than 120,000.
Canada says it will resume its Gaza relief efforts through UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees. Friday's announcement comes despite ongoing investigations into some U.N. staff members' alleged complicity in the Hamas attacks in October.
Canada was among more than a dozen countries to suspend contributions following those reports. It didn't say exactly when the funding would resume.
There are new indications of tension between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After his State of the Union speech on Thursday, Biden was caught on a hot mic while speaking with fellow Democrats on the House floor.
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BIDEN: I told him, Bibi -- and don't repeat this -- but you and I are going to have a "come to Jesus" meeting.
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QUESTION: Why does Mr. Netanyahu need a "come to Jesus" meeting?
What are you hoping to achieve?
BIDEN: I didn't say that in a speech.
QUESTION: After -- what about after the speech?
BIDEN: You guys eavesdropping on things?
QUESTION: Does that show your level of frustration with him on humanitarian aid?
Does he need to be doing more?
BIDEN: Yes, he does.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRUNHUBER: During his State of the Union address, Biden did send a message to Israeli leadership, saying, quote, "Humanitarian assistance cannot be a secondary consideration or a bargaining chip."
It's the eve of Ramadan and Joe Biden has doubts. While on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania, the U.S. president appeared unsure over the prospect of striking a deal that would see a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and hostages released by the start of the holy Muslim month.
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BRUNHUBER: And joining me now is Tahani Mustafa, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group.
[04:10:02]
Thank you so much for being here with us. So the aim was to get a deal before Ramadan. So explain to us why that timing would have been important.
Why would the stakes be so high to get it done before then?
TAHANI MUSTAFA, SENIOR ANALYST, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP: Well, Ramadan is where we've usually seen some of the worst violence between Israel and Palestine over the last couple of years.
And especially now, given what's happening in Gaza, the potential looming invasion of Rafah, which Israeli analysts are warning, it's not a matter of if but when. And, also not to mention, often Israel tends to use Ramadan as an opportunity to implement provocations in the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem. Which in the past, we've seen has tended to offset things well beyond
East Jerusalem. And where we've seen a spillover of conflict into the West Bank. And in May 2021, we even saw it between Gaza and Israel.
BRUNHUBER: Yes, obviously, a huge flashpoint.
So do you think it will be a catalyst for more violence across the region?
MUSTAFA: It could well be, especially if Israel goes ahead with its intended invasion with Rafah, which Netanyahu has already said that Israel is prepared to go for ahead. So there has been absolutely no pressure on Israel in order to scale back its campaign.
At the same time, we've seen Israeli politicians incite, simply through rhetoric at the moment, nothing has been actually put in policy yet, but they have been calling for incitements, such as restricting access to worship in the Al-Aqsa compound as well as the uptick in terms of search and rescue operations.
We've seen across the West Bank and over the last couple of months, especially we have seen a significant rise in militancy. There is a real potential that this could very well spill beyond Gaza.
BRUNHUBER: It seemed as though a deal was close.
I mean, does any side here benefit from the war extending into Ramadan?
MUSTAFA: Well, none of the regional states want this to escalate into a wider conflict. It would be profoundly damaging both directly and indirectly in terms of an economic and political fallout for regional states.
But in terms of what has been proposed, the U.S. proposed ceasefire we saw last week, it offered Hamas nothing of what the organization have wanted, which is first and foremost, a definite end to the fighting and humanitarian reconstruction and aid to go through to the Strip.
And none of the agreements that were being put on the table over the last week really guaranteed anything. They've not given any solid guarantees of the pause would even lost.
BRUNHUBER: The war in Israel figured prominently in President Biden's State of the Union address. There have been a lot of talks about his strongly worded conversation with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Does it surprise you that, despite Biden's pressure, Israel hasn't really softened its stance on aid much at all, really?
I mean, it shows that the limits of U.S. influence on Israel.
Do you see that changing in a U.S. election year, maybe in which Biden himself is feeling more domestic pressure?
MUSTAFA: I think these all point to signs that the U.S. is ineffectual diplomacy when it comes to Israel, strongly worded statements and condemnations are not enough if it's not backed up by any serious logistical pressure.
And we haven't seen that yet coming from the U.S. We haven't even seen the U.S. trying to pressure Israel in any meaningful way to guarantee the access of significant aid that is needed.
We've seen Israeli politicians claim that enough aid is going through, contrary to what repeatable human rights organizations that are on the ground distributing aid are saying. And at the same time, we've seen the U.S. indulge in these -- what UNRWA has described as non economical, unsafe means such as airdrops.
And now, now the proposition of a building a pier on or a port, which is not only going to delay what is now much needed desperate aid but more importantly is just not economical and is not proving safe.
Already, we had, I think it was yesterday, five Palestinians were killed in an airdrop when the parachutes had failed and had literally dropped on the population that they were meant to be helping.
BRUNHUBER: I think some of those some of -- that was disputed but we'll have to see as we get more details.
I wanted to ask you this before we leave. I mean, they can't even negotiate a ceasefire, so peace seems a long way off. But turning to what happens next, you wrote this in December. I want to quote you here.
"In the wake of the war, one can imagine the territory being overseen by collection of international aid agencies operating under the shadow of Israeli aircraft and drones with Palestinians squatting in the ruins of Gaza or isolated in what might amount to prison camps in the Sinai desert."
That is a bleak vision.
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BRUNHUBER: Is that still the most likely scenario, do you think?
MUSTAFA: Unfortunately so. It doesn't seem as though we've really moved past in terms of any serious contingent planning for the day after.
And what's worse is that Israel's vision, which is now starting to hold sway amongst international policymakers, is that you relegate service provision to tribal families and clans while Israel retains full control of the Strip -- land, air, sea space -- the creation of buffer zones, security zones.
And that hasn't changed. If anything, that vision is now starting to hold sway. And it seems to be, for many, especially those that will be in charge of service provisions such as aid organizations, it seems to be the most viable, unfortunately, option that they have at their disposal. Maybe not ideal but it's proving to be the only viable one now.
BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll have to leave it there but really appreciate your analysis. Tehani Mustafa, thank you so much.
MUSTAFA: Thank you. Thanks again.
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BRUNHUBER: Israel says its forces carried out airstrikes on Hezbollah targets after detecting several rocket launches from southern Lebanon on Friday. A military post and compound were hit along with what the IDF calls terror infrastructure.
Hezbollah confirmed that it launched attacks on Israeli military sites on Friday. There were no reports of casualties.
Meanwhile, a senior U.S. official says they're unaware of reports that Israel had set a March 15th deadline for Hezbollah to withdraw from southern Lebanon or risk the threat of launching a war. Neither side has firmed whether a deadline has been set.
All right, turning now to the Red Sea, where U.S. and coalition forces shot down 15 drones launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels just hours ago. U.S. Central Command says the Iranian backed rebel group conducted a, quote, "large scale, uncrewed aerial vehicle attack into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden early Saturday morning."
It says coalition forces identified the drones and determined they posed an immediate threat to merchant vessels as well as U.S. Navy and coalition ships.
From old and outdated to modern and deadly, still ahead, Russia gives an upgrade to its old fashioned aerial bombs to gain an advantage on the Ukrainian battlefields.
Plus the U.S. agency responsible for cyber-security got hacked. What happened and what the hackers accessed next, stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. agency in charge of cybersecurity was hacked last month. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says the hack forced it to take two key systems offline.
One of the affected systems allowed federal, state and local officials to share security assessment tools. The other held security assessment information on chemical facilities. Sources tell CNN both systems ran on older technology that was already set to be replaced. It's not clear who was behind the attack.
[04:20:00] Microsoft is blaming Russian backed hackers for what the tech giant calls a serious intrusion of some of its key systems. The company claims hackers used stolen information in recent weeks to access their internal systems and critical software codes.
The full extent of the operation is unclear but experts say those responsible have ties to the Kremlin. Microsoft first revealed the breach in January.
Ukraine and its allies are scrambling to come up with more weapons and ammunition as foreign military aid remains in short supply. On Friday, president Volodymyr Zelenskyy met his Turkish counterpart in Istanbul, discussing joint military production and Black Sea navigation.
Meanwhile, France says that French defense companies will begin operating in Ukraine to produce spare parts and possibly ammunition with local partners.
And the Czech Republic says it's raised enough money to buy 300,000 artillery shells for Ukraine from countries outside the E.U.
But Russia is updating its military arsenal, too, bringing its old dumb bombs into the 21st century. Russian engineers have found a way to turn those bombs into gliding precision weapons. As Fred Pleitgen reports, their effect on the battlefield is devastating.
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FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice- over): Massive explosions as the Russians were driving Ukrainian forces out of Avdiivka on the eastern front.
After their retreat, Kyiv's ground troops saying Vladimir Putin's air force has become a lot more effective, thanks to a special weapon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): The enemy used there aircraft a lot, attacking with KAB bombs. Before they advance, they clean up the area ahead of them with KAB bombs.
PLEITGEN: KAB stands for correctable air bomb, old, unguided bombs, retrofitted with wings that unfold and a precision guidance kit using Russia's version of GPS.
JUSTIN BRONK, SENIOR RESEARCH ON AIRPOWER AT ROYAL UNITED SERVICES INSTITUTE: The impact has been to give Russia additional firepower, particularly very heavy firepower. So it's a lot more explosive than an artillery shell or rocket. So essentially, almost a kind of DIY style version of an American glide bomb kit.
PLEITGEN: You can see the bombs in flight here, their wings already extended. The wing kits allow the Russians to release the bombs further away from the front lines and out of range of Ukraine's short distance air defense systems the bombs then glide dozens of miles to their targets, with devastating effects, the Ukrainians say.
The Russians dropping large quantities of bombs weighing between 500 and 3,000 pounds, able to annihilate even hardened Ukrainian positions.
YURI IHNAT, UKRAINE AIR FORCE SPOKESMAN (through translator): Their goal is not only we to hit front line positions but guided glide bombs are also flying further behind our defenders to hit rear command posts, rear supplies, ammunition and so on.
PLEITGEN: The aerial bombs are huge. This is a medium-size one that didn't explode when dropped on a house near the eastern front.
And the Russian say they're just getting started. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu saying Moscow will drastically ramp up production of the wing and guidance kits on a recent visit to the factory, making them.
BRONK: It's a form of munition that Russia has potentially very large quantities. And it enables their fighter aircraft, which so far have been fairly ineffective in the war, to contribute really heavy firepower to the ongoing Russian push against Ukrainian line.
PLEITGEN: The Ukrainian say, the only way they can stop Putin's glide bomb blitz is with more long-range air defense systems. And they hope soon with us made F-16 fighter jets that could help push Russian aircraft even further away from the front lines.
The Ukrainians say they have managed to shoot down some of those Russian jets dropping those glide bombs. But they also say the only weapon they currently have capable of achieving that is the U.S. made Patriot surface to air missile system.
Now of course, the Ukrainians need a lot of missiles to shoot down those Russian jets. However, getting additional missiles is a problem, as funding for additional U.S. military aid remains held up by Republican House leadership -- Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Ukrainian women have been enlisting in droves to join the fight against Russia's invasion. The defense ministry says more than 45,000 women now serve in the military, which was a 44 percent increase compared to before the war.
Thousands of them operate in combat zones. One female platoon commander told CNN that women participate in offensive operations and work as officers. Women are also stepping up to the plate behind the front lines and filling critical jobs.
Ukraine's military press service thanked women for their service on Friday, which was International Women's Day.
Hong Kong has drafted a controversial new security law but, with Beijing watching, there may not be much of public pushback. CNN's Kristie Lu Stout has more now.
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KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: The Hong Kong government has published its draft of a controversial new homegrown security law.
[04:25:00]
And this law could have deep ramifications for the city's status as a global business hub.
Known as Article 23, the bill outlaws crimes, including treason, insurrection, theft of state secrets, sabotage and external interference. It includes sentences of up to life in prison for treason, 20 years for espionage and 10 years for state secrets.
And Hong Kong officials say that it will fill loopholes in a sweeping national security law that was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after mass anti-government protests. They also point out that many Western nations have similar legislation.
Around two decades ago, Article 23 was shelved after an attempt to enact it drew 0.5 million residents onto the streets in protest. No such scenes of public opposition are expected this time around. Beijing's national security crackdown has fundamentally transformed Hong Kong.
Dozens of political opponents have been arrested, civil society groups disbanded and outspoken media outlets shut down. On Thursday, Hong Kong's top leader, John Lee, said he urged the legislature to vet the bill at full speed.
In a statement, he said this, quote, "Completing the legislative work, even one day earlier, means we can more effectively safeguard national security one day earlier. The HKSAR can then focus its efforts on developing the economy, improving people's livelihood and maintaining the long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong."
The draft comes a little over a week after a month-long public consultation period for it ended. The city's legislature started debate on the bill on Friday and there will be several rounds of debate and the convening of a special meeting. The process could take weeks -- Kristie Lu Stout, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Hungary's authoritarian leader stopped by Mar-a-Lago for a special visit with Donald Trump. Still ahead, we'll have much more on their meeting which ended with a members only concert.
Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Welcome back to all of you watching us around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is CNN NEWSROOM. A U.S. military helicopter crashed near the border with Mexico on
Friday, killing two soldiers and a Border Patrol agent. A local judge tells CNN the helicopter was following migrants before going down in an open field near Rio Grande city in Texas.
Most of the soldiers who died were National Guardsmen. Another soldier was injured. The cause of the accident is now under investigation.
U.S. Republicans got a surprising legal setback in their ongoing fight against President Biden's border and immigration policies.
[04:30:00]
On Friday, a federal judge dismissed the Texas lawsuit, challenging a White House policy that affects migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
The lawsuit focused on a program that permits up to 30,000 migrants from those countries to come to the U.S. each month if they have U.S. sponsors. Republicans have criticized the Biden administration's use of parole, saying officials use the authority too broadly.
Texas filed a lawsuit along with other Republican led states.
A U.S. federal judge has blocked the Biden administration from redirecting money for a border wall to other border-related purposes. The funding was set aside by Congress during the Trump era and the language in the spending bill specifically calls for a barrier system.
The Biden administration came up with a plan in 2022 that found various other border-related projects to use the money but the judge in the Southern District of Texas says the government hasn't met its obligations. He paused this ruling for a week to allow the White House time to appeal.
U.S. President Joe Biden is ramping up his reelection campaign and riding the momentum from his feisty speech State of the Union speech. He kicked off a tour of battleground states with a visit to Pennsylvania Friday.
It was effectively his first rally of the general election campaign after Super Tuesday set up a rematch against Donald Trump. As CNN's MJ Lee reports, the Biden campaign is going on the offensive and Friday's rally in Pennsylvania was apparently just the beginning.
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MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): President Biden hitting the road the day after delivering one of the most pivotal speeches of his presidency in his first campaign stop after his State of the Union address.
BIDEN: Our freedoms really are in a ballot this November. Donald Trump with the MAGA Republicans are trying to take away our freedoms. That's not an exaggeration.
Well, guess what?
We will not let him.
LEE (voice-over): The Biden campaign announcing a flurry of upcoming travel, promising to send Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to every battleground state in the coming weeks.
Other top surrogates, including the first lady and the second gentleman, also preparing to hit the road. Also coming for the campaign in the month of March, 100 new offices and 350 new staff.
BIDEN: I'll always be president for all Americans.
LEE (voice-over): Plus a brand new digital and TV ad campaign to the tune of $30 million over six weeks.
BIDEN: The state of our union is strong and getting stronger.
LEE (voice-over): All of this part of a major push by the Biden campaign to build on the political momentum coming out of the State of the Union in a fiery and highly political speech.
BIDEN: This is a moment to speak the truth and to bury lies.
LEE (voice-over): The president repeatedly invoking his 2024 GOP rival, though not by name.
BIDEN: Now my predecessor --
-- my predecessor --
-- my predecessor failed.
LEE (voice-over): And, at times, taunting the Republican lawmakers in the chamber.
BIDEN: I will -- that's the proposal.
I don't know.
You guys don't want another $2 trillion tax cut?
I kind of thought that's what your plan was.
LEE (voice-over): Biden's 69 minute speech, heavy on economic populism.
BIDEN: I see a future for the middle class as finally has a fair shot and the wealthy have to pay their fair share in taxes.
LEE (voice-over): A vision of strong American leadership abroad.
BIDEN: History is watching. The United States walks away, it will put Ukraine at risk.
LEE (voice-over): And protections of individual freedoms and rights, including access to reproductive care.
BIDEN: I promise you, I will restore Roe v. Wade as the law of land again.
LEE (voice-over): The evening, appearing to rally the president's supporters and national Democrats as they all anxiously anticipate a Biden-Trump rematch in November.
And this banter caught on a hot mic after the speech, speaking volumes about the president's increasingly strained relationship with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
BIDEN: I told him, Bibi -- and don't repeat this -- but you and I are going to have a "come to Jesus" meeting.
LEE: And President Biden did address that hot mic moment, telling reporters and joking with them that they were eavesdropping on his conversation.
But on a more serious note, he did say that prime minister Netanyahu does need to do more to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israel war does remain a tough issue for President Biden politically.
As we were coming into this event, in the suburbs of Philadelphia, we spoke with a protester, who said that she would like to see the president call for a permanent ceasefire. Of course, a position that the president has yet to take -- MJ Lee, CNN, in Wallingford, Pennsylvania.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Senate passed a slate of government funding bills just hours before the deadline.
[04:35:00]
To avert a partial government shutdown, lawmakers on Friday approved the package of six spending bills via a vote of 75 to 22 They now head to the president's desk for his signature.
The bills were backed by the top Democrats and Republicans in both the Senate and the House. It's a significant breakthrough in bipartisanship after months of lawmakers waiting until the 11th hour to pass stopgap bills. They're not done yet though. They still need to finalize and pass a second slate of funding bills before March 22.
The Republican National Committee has shaken up its leadership. Ronna McDaniel officially stepped down from the chair post Friday at the organization's spring meeting in Houston. North Carolina GOP chairman Michael Whately will take over along with Donald Trump's daughter-in- law, Lara Trump.
She was elected as co-chair, calling it an honor. She said the goal is to make sure Trump wins the election this November.
Donald Trump has posted a bond of nearly $92 million as he appeals the judgment against him in the E. Jean Carroll defamation case. The judge is giving Carroll until Monday morning to object to the filing.
In January, Carroll was awarded more than $83 million after Trump made defamatory remarks denying he sexually assaulted her. The bond is being underwritten by the insurance company Chubb (ph).
Meanwhile, Trump welcomed Hungary's authoritarian prime minister Viktor Orban to Mar-a-Lago on Friday. Trump's campaign shared these photos, saying he met with Orban to discuss many issues, including the importance of border security. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more from West Palm Beach, Florida.
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KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Sources told me that Trump and the Hungarian prime ministers met for about 45 minutes to an hour and then Donald Trump took him to a tribute concert on the Mar-a-Lago property. It was an event that was going on.
Now I do not have any details yet about what exactly happened, what exactly was talked about during this meeting. Was just described me as a quote-unquote, "social media," essentially saying, the sources, that they were sitting down, two men without any agenda.
But of course, it is hard to imagine Viktor Orban and Donald Trump sitting down without any agenda. Now the reason why this is so significant is twofold. One, the White House did not issue any sort of formal invitation.
Two, Orban did not reach out to the White House. And I am told that he did reach out to Trump's team to set up this meeting.
The other part of this is that Donald Trump is not only a former president but he is also the presumptive Republican nominee. And he could potentially be president again. And this gives you a look at the kind of leaders that he might align himself with on the world stage.
Orban is an authoritarian. He has fought against the free press, calling it fake news. He has been rigid on immigration. He has been rigid on LGBTQ rights. He is, for all intents and purposes, he believes and steady believes that democracy doesn't work.
Donald Trump has praised Orban. He has said that he believes his policies are good and at one point even said, some people don't like him because he is a strong man. But it's good to have a strong man controlling your country.
Again, this could be an example or at least a reading of the tea leaves of the kind of leaders Donald Trump would align himself with if he is reelected to the White House in November. Now we're still talking to sources, trying to figure out what exactly was said if there was any business that was talked about as these two leaders met.
We of course, we'll get back to you to see if there was in fact an agenda as soon as we hear from them -- Kristen Holmes, CNN, West Palm Beach, Florida.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRUNHUBER: Still ahead, the international community is urging Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry to act as the country continues its descent into chaos. We'll have latest after break, please stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: Authorities in Nigeria are telling CNN at least 287 children were kidnapped Thursday after gunmen overran their schools. CNN's Stephanie Busari has more now from Lagos.
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STEPHANIE BUSARI, CNN SENIOR AFRICA EDITOR: Gunmen stormed a school in Kuraka (ph) village, northwest Nigeria, early Thursday morning, kidnapping more than 300 students, some as young as 8 years old, authorities told CNN.
Police spokesperson Mansour Hassan (ph) told CNN Friday that armed bandits raided the LEA (ph) primary and secondary school on motorcycles, taking away the students. While some have been rescued, 287 students remain in captivity, including 100 from the primary school and 107 from the secondary level, Hassan (ph) said.
CNN has not been able to independently verify these numbers. Nigeria's president Bola Ahmed Tinubu says he's determined to return the children safely to their community, saying, quote, "I am confident that the victims will be rescued. Nothing else is acceptable to me and the waiting family of these abducted citizens. Justice will be administered."
The shocking incident is a reminder of how vulnerable schools are in this part of the country. Amnesty International slammed authorities for their, quote, "consistent failure to protect citizens from abduction."
Kaduna state, which borders the Nigerian capital, Abuja, has grappled with a current incidence of kidnapping for ransom by bandits. And has witnessed several mass abductions in recent years, including in the district where LEA primary and secondary school is located -- Stephanie Busari, CNN, Lagos, Nigeria.
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BRUNHUBER: The international community watches nervously as Haiti continues to be overtaken by gang violence. The United Nations says there has been no request by embattle Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry or any other officials for U.N. peacekeepers to intervene.
And there's no word when a U.N. backed multinational security force will be deployed. Meanwhile, the group of nations known as CARICOM plans to meet in Kingston, Jamaica, on Monday to discuss the situation in Haiti. It is not clear if embattled Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry will attend.
CNN has reached out to the prime minister's office for comment.
Now the future of Haiti's government hangs in the balance as rampant gang violence continues and the security situation deteriorates. Armed individuals attacked two police stations near Haiti's national palace Friday night. That's according to a security source.
Meantime, questions remain over the future of Haiti's prime minister. Our Patrick Oppmann brings us the latest now.
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PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: U.S. State Department officials said that, on Thursday, secretary of state Antony Blinken spoke with embattled Haitian prime minister Ariel Henry and urged him to form a transitional government to see if that helps end the ongoing political stalemate in Haiti and the out of control violence.
Henry still has not said what his plans are and is believed that he remains essentially stuck in Puerto Rico.
Unable to return to his country after gangs rose up, demanding his resignation and saying that they would not allow soldiers that Henry had negotiated with the government of Kenya to arrive and try to put the uprising of these gangs under control to try to end the cycle of gang violence in Haiti.
These gangs have blocked off roads, have committed sexual violence against women, have displaced thousands of people. And there has been widespread looting, including at a key port terminal in Port-au- Prince.
So even though the government in Haiti that remains has called for a state of emergency, very clearly the gangs have the upper hand here. And they are not giving in at all.
They appear to be willing to wait out Haitians.
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They are running low on food, low on water. These gangs have for years had a very lucrative business of kidnapping people for ransom.
And now it appears they're holding an entire country hostage -- Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.
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BRUNHUBER: The United Nations also says its protection services for gender-based violence has been suspended in the Haitian capital due to the unsafe conditions there. That means as many as 3,000 pregnant women in Port-au-Prince could be denied access to essential health care unless the suspension is lifted.
The U.N. reports the situation in Haiti has led to thousands of civilians, mainly women, losing their homes.
A suicide prevention non-profit devoted to LGBTQ+ youth says it's been flooded with crisis calls in the weeks after the death of 16-year-old Nex Benedict. The Oklahoma teenager identified as nonbinary, according to family.
Benedict died on February 8th, one day after they and a transgender student were involved in a fight with others in the bathroom at their high school. Police are still investigating the cause of Benedict's death and it's not clear if the fight contributed.
The National Rainbow Youth Project says crisis call volumes wiped (ph) more than 200 percent in the aftermath. The group says kids are scared and they need support. Notably up to 15 percent of the calls are from concerned parents.
It vanished into thin air. Just ahead, the new effort to find answers 10 years after that Malaysia Airways passenger jet disappeared. Stay with us.
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BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Coast Guard says 10 barges loaded with coal, broke away from their towing vessel Friday in Kentucky. As of late Friday, eight of the barges were resting on a railroad bridge while the others were partially submerged near a hydroelectric power plant.
No injuries have been reported and the cause of the incident is under investigation.
About 85 gallons of oil have been recovered following an oil spill off the coast of Southern California Friday. That's according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Now the spill is near the Los Angeles suburb of Huntington Beach.
The Coast Guard said one bird with oil on it has now been recovered. And while the exact source has not yet been determined, officials say it may be from an oil platform. The spill is not considered a threat to residents, at least for now.
Hawaii is installing fire detector sensors on Maui and other Hawaiian islands. About 80 wildfire sensors will be placed around in the state with the first 20 sensors on Maui, expected to be active by April 8th. The sensors detect heat and use artificial intelligence to distinguish between particles from fires and elements regularly found in the air.
Each sensor has a battery, which recharges automatically and sends text messages to fire officials when there's a problem. After 10 years, it is still one of aviation's greatest mysteries, the
fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. It vanished shortly after takeoff on what should have been a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Now there's a new move on for another search with newer technology. Richard Quest reports.
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ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: And we have breaking news right now. Malaysia Airlines confirms it has lost contact with the plane carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST (voice-over): And so began one of aviation's greatest mysteries.
NAJIB RAZAK, MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER: The plane just vanished from the radar screen. You know, we -- when -- we went totally dark.
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QUEST: The Boeing 777 took off from Kuala Lumpur on its way to Beijing. It was less than an hour into the flight when the captain said --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good night, Malaysia 370.
QUEST: Minutes later, the transponder stopped transmitting identification and position.
Military radar and data from the pilot's cell phone revealed that the plane had changed course, was now flying back across Malaysia and the satellite data revealed MH370 continued flying for around seven hours when the plane likely went down of the western coast of Australia.
RAZAK: Flight MH370 ended in a southern Indian Ocean.
QUEST: That statement extinguished whatever hope the families still had.
Those families are still hoping for closure.
When the plane went missing, planes, ships and submarines from dozens of countries took part in the most expensive search in aviation history. And despite all these efforts, nothing was immediately found.
It would be more than a year before a piece of the wing washed up on the coast of a Union Island near Madagascar.
What happened to the plane remains unclear.
Some observers believe Captain Zaharie deliberately crashed the plane, as part of a murder-suicide.
The families of the pilots harshly reject that idea. And truth is there's little hard evidence to support it.
Other nefarious theories say someone entered the cockpit and hijack the plane. Then, there are mechanical issues. All then perhaps some kind of far in the cargo hold or a sudden decompression, that forced the pilots to change course before they were no longer able to control the plane or became unconscious.
DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: At this point, the only thing we do know is that it did hit the water, that there are pieces of the airplane that washed ashore. Other than that, we have no other clues as to what actually happened.
QUEST: Now a decade on, the Malaysia government says it's considering a new search.
An American firm Ocean Infinity says new technology may allow it to find the missing aircraft after two previous searches failed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We've spent a lot of time talking to a lot of different people. It's a question that deserves to be the answer, not least just for the families but for everybody.
QUEST: Ten years on, finding the plane remains crucial, to bringing closure to the families of the victims.
K.S. NARENDRAN, HUSBAND OF PASSENGER CHANDRIKA SHARMA: I would have a sense of relief, I guess, that, at least we know now they found something.
QUEST: And also for you and I, some of the billions of people who fly every year, because, in the world of aviation, no mystery must be allowed to go unsolved.
That's also vital for you and me and the billions of people who fly each year; 10 years on, they have to find the plane and retrieve the black box data recorders because a mystery like MH370 simply cannot be allowed to go unsolved -- Richard Quest, CNN, New York.
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BRUNHUBER: Well, as U.S. jobs report beat expectations and shows the labor market continues its steady growth, the U.S. economy added 275,000 jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate ticked higher from 3.7 percent to 3.9 percent.
It was the 25th consecutive month that the nation's jobless rate has been less than 4 percent, the longest stretch in more than 50 years.
Apple is reversing its decision to ban Epic Games from launching its own app store on iOS in Europe, That means Epic will be able to bring back Fortnite back to iPhones in Europe. Apple's reversal comes after E.U. officials said they'd be investigating the matter.
And after conversations with Epic, this is the first major test of Europe's new digital competition rules that went into effect on Thursday. Now finally, this hour the Pentagon says it hasn't found any evidence
of aliens among all the reports of unidentified aerial phenomena, what we used to call UFOs. That's the technical term. But the Pentagon is developing a UFO detection kit, just in case. Kristin Fisher has our story from Washington.
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KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, this portable UFO or UAP detection kit is called Gremlin. It's being developed by the U.S. military in an effort to respond faster to reported UFO sightings and to collect better data once they get there.
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Timothy Phillips, who is the acting director of the Pentagon's all- domain anomaly office, the Pentagon's office that investigates UAP sightings, explained these Gremlin sensor kits like this.
Quote, "What we're doing is developing a deployable, configurable sensor suite that we can put in Pelican cases. Since the UAP target -- the signature is not clearly defined -- we really have to do hyperspectral surveillance to really try to capture these incidents."
Now hyperspectral means across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. So they're trying to collect everything from X-rays and ultraviolet rays to microwave and radio waves, things really outside the normal signatures of flying objects.
Most flying objects, things like jets, produce a big heat signature from their hot engines. Some of these UAPs do not. So that's one thing that these Gremlin sensors are going to help try to do, collect better data.
And they're currently being tested at a big range out in Texas. And the Pentagon is especially interested in deploying them at sensitive national security sites, places like U.S. military bases, Navy ships, places where a lot of these UAP sightings have been concentrated.
Now the Pentagon initially sharing this news about the Gremlin sensor kits at a briefing with a select group of reporters. CNN's Oren Liebermann was one of them. And at this briefing, the whole point of it was to kind of preview a report that dropped on Friday.
And this was a report that the Pentagon put together. And it was mandated by Congress. And what this report concluded is that, quote, "The AARO found no evidence that any U.S. government investigation, academic sponsored research or official review panel has confirmed that any sighting of a UAP represented extra terrestrial technology."
So the report concluded that most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification. But the reports still does not explain the UAPs that were caught on camera by U.S. military pilots, who testified under oath on Capitol Hill that the UAPs that they saw were behaving in ways that defied the laws of physics. So still a lot of questions here. But the Pentagon is hoping that
these Gremlin kits, these portable UFO/UAP detection kits, will help them collect better data, which can then help them get some better answers -- Kristin Fisher, CNN, Washington.
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BRUNHUBER: That wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. I'll be back with more news in just a moment.
